Activision Blizzard has recently made great strides to aid veterans in finding jobs after military service. Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard, announced in 2009 the launch of the Call of Duty Endowment, or CODE. Kotick spearheaded the creation of this foundation after learning of the dire rates of unemployment for returning veterans. This non-profit public benefit corporation aims to support veterans as they transition back into our country’s working world.
With the current economic climate in the United States, finding a job has been extremely difficult. In 2009, the unemployment rate for young civilians, ages 18 to 24, reached an astronomical 16.6 percent, according the U.S. Labor Department. This number, although staggering, is substantially lower than the unemployment rate of young Iraq and Afghanistan veterans of the same age group. In the same year, the young veteran unemployment rate was as high as 21.1 percent.
Activision Blizzard is the computer and video game producer responsible for timeless titles found in the Guitar Hero, Tony Hawk, and Call of Duty series. Bobby Kotick, the company’s CEO, has long been a supporter of the different branches of the military. He and Activision Blizzard have been responsible for the donation of video games and gaming consoles to our armed forces for the entertainment of our troops. Now they are taking their support of the military to the next level with the Call of Duty Endowment.
“If there are 150,000 people coming back from Iraq and 50,000 of them are not employable, that is going to call into question how you can actually recruit people into an army and, more importantly, says something about the lack of consideration that we are extending to the people who are going and giving their lives for our freedom and our free markets,” said Bobby Kotick regarding the current employment situation for returning veterans.
The Call of Duty Endowment, named after the popular video game series, funds projects to provide veterans with post military career help. CODE’s first grant was given to Paralyzed Veterans of America in the sum of $375,000 to fund a vocational center in Boston. The endowment was started through the donation of proceeds from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. It was aided by the record-breaking release of Call of Duty: Black Ops, with sales exceeding $1 billion. Kotick announced plans to increase the endowment of the nonprofit to between $50 million and $100 million within a decade.
“These are super-capable people. To the extent that you can put them on track to develop more skills, the development potential that we’ve identified is extraordinary,” said Bobby Kotick about the countless young veterans in need.
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